The Bengals punted on a 4th-and-4 on their 49.
It’s close, but the NYT 4th Down Bot would have gone for it.

If you disagree

The coach’s decision to punt is the right call if you think the Bengals’ chances of converting on fourth down are less than 44 percent. But based on my analysis, I’d give the Bengals a 51 percent chance to get a first down here.

Here's the full breakdown of my calculations:

Option

Chance of converting

Chance of winning

Before play

After play

Change

Go for it4th and 4, own 49

51%

62%

63%

+1%

Punt

62%

62%

-

Field goal try68 yard kick (est.)

<1%

62%

52%

–10%

My decision in context

Along with some circuitry to come up with a win probability for every game situation, all you need to figure out what you should do next is an estimate of how likely you are to make a field goal or convert a first down.

My estimates for these are based on the results of thousands of similar plays, but you may think you're smarter than I am. This chart shows you how changing those estimates would change my recommendation.

What to do on 4th-and-4 on own 49

Up by 4 with 3:10 remaining in the 3rd quarter

How important was this call?

If the coach had gone for it instead of punting, I estimate the Bengals’ chances of winning would be about 63 percent instead of 62 percent.

To estimate a team’s chances of winning, I use a mathematical model that accounts for a whole lot of variables — including the difference in score, the time remaining in the game, and the number of timeouts each team has left. On top of that, I have models for the likelihood that a team makes a field goal and the likelihood that it will convert a first down.

By combining all of this information, I can come up with the best decision a team can make, according to math.

If you want even more details about the numbers behind my decisions, my full model is available on GitHub. Help make me better!